Pieris (Lily of the Valley Shrub)

How to choose a Pieris japonica

The Lily of the Valley Bush is the species: glossy dark leaves, white flowers and bronze new growth on a shrub that can eventually reach 2 to 3 metres, though it is slow and often half that after ten years. The Mountain Fire Lily of the Valley Bush is grown for vivid red new growth that ages through bronze to green, with white flowers. The Christmas Cheer Lily of the Valley Bush is an early flowering form with white bells flushed pink. Temple Bells Pieris is a slow, compact selection with white flowers.

Choose by new growth as much as by flower. The coloured shoots last for weeks in spring and are often the showier display.

Where pieris grows

Pieris suits cool and mild temperate climates: Tasmania, Melbourne and the Dandenongs, the Adelaide Hills, Canberra, the Blue Mountains, the Southern Highlands and the tablelands. It is frost hardy, although a late frost can burn the soft new growth, so a spot under high tree canopy is ideal. Give it morning sun or dappled shade, with protection from hot afternoon sun and drying wind. It struggles with the warm nights and humidity of the subtropics and tropics, and it will not grow in limy or alkaline soil. Where the garden soil is alkaline, grow it in a pot of azalea and camellia mix.

All parts of pieris, including the flowers and nectar, are poisonous to people, pets and livestock if eaten. Keep it out of paddock boundaries and away from animals that chew plants.

It belongs in the same bed as our azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons, which share its soil and shade needs.

Planting and spacing

Pieris needs acid soil, around pH 5 to 6, that is rich in organic matter and drains freely. Dig in composted pine bark or leaf mould, and never add lime or mushroom compost. In clay, build a raised bed. The roots are fine and shallow, so plant at the same depth as the pot and do not bury the stem. Space plants 1 to 1.5 metres apart, and mulch with leaf litter or bark to keep the root zone cool.

Care basics

Keep the soil evenly moist, particularly through summer, because the shallow roots dry out quickly and the plant does not recover well from a hard drying. Feed after flowering in spring with an azalea and camellia fertiliser. Snip off the spent flower strings if you want a tidier plant. Pruning is rarely needed. If you must shape it, do so straight after flowering, since the buds for next year form in autumn and sit on the plant all winter. Leaves that turn yellow between green veins point to soil that is too alkaline, which iron chelates and sulphur will correct over time.

Common questions

Is Pieris japonica poisonous?

Yes. All parts are poisonous to people, pets and livestock if eaten, so plant it away from stock and from pets that chew plants.

Will pieris grow in full sun?

Only in cool districts with moist soil. In most gardens it does better with morning sun or dappled shade and shelter from hot afternoon sun.

How big does pieris get?

The species can reach 2 to 3 metres in time, but growth is slow. Compact selections stay smaller.

Can I grow pieris in a pot?

Yes. It is a good tub plant in azalea and camellia mix, kept moist and in a sheltered, partly shaded position.